Teesside Tech company uses AR and VR to successfully evolve

Evolution Risk Assurance

An innovative technology company focused on emergency response consultancy, based in the North-East, has seen substantial growth by successfully dealing with the ongoing impact of COVID-19.
Evolution Risk Assurance (ERA), founded in Hartlepool and with offices in London and the United States, has integrated emerging digital technologies having previously travelled the globe delivering face-to-face (F2F) bespoke emergency response and crisis management training to its clients.
ERA flexed quickly to this emerging threat by fast-tracking the creation of its own blended mixed reality training solution – an Augmented and Virtual Reality service.
It quickly advanced its own unique online training systems to meet the personal development needs of some of the world’s biggest energy companies such as BP and Shell.
Kevin Boffy, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Evolution Risk Assurance, said: “COVID has presented us with a unique set of challenges and opportunities, we have developed new services and addressed new needs for large multi-national clients operating in petrochemical, energy and renewables.
“ERA affords an efficient affordable solution to companies struggling with the need to carry out development activities for staff when travel is prohibited.
“Our international clients include companies developing the chemicals utilised in the supply of the COVID vaccine. Our services can allow them to develop staff effectively in a safer and more cost-effective manner, whilst ensuring development events that are entirely bespoke to the asset and the company.
“We have delivered our biggest projects to date, and on time, in the North Sea and it has allowed us to extend into operations in the Gulf of Mexico. We have expanded our service offering that includes both emergency response and technical training solutions.
“We are extremely mindful of what people are going through and how hard it has been during these extremely difficult times. We had worries, big ones, particularly at the beginning, but we have come through it and hopefully we are showing others how it can be done.
“The challenge of how to deal with COVID has seen us strengthen our current offering whilst also branching out and extending our software development team substantially.”
ERA was in the early-stage testing of F2F Virtual Reality with initial successes for onshore energy workers. The arrival of the pandemic and the increase in remote working worldwide led to a team of in-house developers providing a viable product.
Significant business growth has allowed for new staff positions and an exciting product development pipeline.
ERA is a team comprising emergency response, crisis management and fire engineering consultants, who together bring industry-leading experience in the development of immersive experiences across many high hazard sectors.
It has recently agreed new partnerships with a major training provider in south east Asia and New Zealand. Previously across the Atlantic ERA has secured further work and allowed further development within our USA business.
Mr Boffy said: “We can now deliver sessions through smart phones, tablets and laptops. It’s cost effective and easy to access. The VR is still available in headsets, but it can now be delivered through shared platforms and our own in-house Evolution-XR systems software platform.
“The unique immersive training system allows people to access development sessions from home and is backed-up by a range of downloadable apps. It’s an exciting development and we are looking to expand that further.”

For further information check out www.evolutionriskassurance.com